Improvement in animal-pokes



v used, but would not be so effective.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARLow E. cHAriN, or RocREsTER, NEw YORK, AssIGNoR To HIMsELr AND PoLLooK, wEAvERNa co., or sAME rLAoE.

HVIPROVEMENA'I IN ANIMAL-POKES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 116,683, dated July 4, 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARLOW F. CHAPIN, ofthe city of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Animal-Pokes, of which the following is a specification:

This invention consists in the construction of the poke, by which a greater degree of stiness and strength is secured, while at the same time the upper ends of the arms of the poke are separated for the application of a neck-strap. It further consists in combining, with the cross-heads that hold the prick-pins, an arrangement of arms by which said cross-heads have a mutual action. as hereinafter described.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is an elevation; Fig. 2, a view of one of the clasps that unite the legs and arms; Fig. 3, a view, showing the cross-heads and their jointed arms.

This device is an improvement on th at patented to me March 14, 1871. A distinguishing feature of that invention is the open arms at the top, connected by a strap which fits the animals neck. In order to retain these arms in position and give the proper stiiiness and strength I employ the following arrangements: A A are the arms, which are made open or separated at the top and connected by the strap and pad B C, as in my aforesaid patent. These arms extend a suitable distance downward, are made beveled on the inside at their lower ends, and are secured to the legs D D by means of clasps E E, which embrace the parts, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. These clasps are held by a rivet or screw, a, which passes into the wood of both parts. Screws alone might be The legs D D stand at an angle, the bottom being the widest, while the tops rest within the arms A A, leaving a clear space between at the upper ends. The parts are united by one or more cross-bars, G, placed outside and bolted or screwed to each part, as show-n at b b. The ends of the clasps may be made pointed, and bent to drive into the wood when in place, thus securing additional strength. This construction of the body of the poke constitutes one feature of my invention. The tops of the arms A A, being separated instead of con* nected by a bow, as in the old style of poke, require some special method of bracing them; otherwise they will be loose and irregular in action, and the parts will become detached and broken.

This I attain by connecting' said arms to the sides of the legs, then passing the latter up between the arms in an angular position, and securing them by the cross-bar G. This presents four different points for the attachment of the cross-bar, which points are separated and distributed across the width of the poke, thereby giving great strength. This arrangement not only stiffens the arms and holds them in position, but it also strengthens the legs at the junction of the clasps, which is the point where the greatest danger of breakage occurs, from the catching of the legs in the fence or otherwise. It is experienced by manufacturers that in nineteen cases out of twenty where breakage takes place it is toward the lower end of the legs. In the old style of poke such breakage spoils the whole device. In my case the leg is easily repaired and replaced without throwing away the rest of the poke. This construction also forms, really, two trusses or arches, which are combined together, thus securing stiffness and strength even superiorto the old style made in a single piece. The ends of the legs D D project a little above the cross-bar and rest in close contact to the cross-heads H I, which carry the prick-pins d d. By this means, if any force is applied to the top of the cross-heads so as to press them down, the ends of the legs will form a support to hold them up. Under ordinary circumstances, however, said cross-heads are sustained by the pivoted arms hereafter described. The prick-pins are arranged in the same manner as in my patent before alluded to, and do not require special mention here. The cross-heads have each bearing-arms ff and g g, which are pivoted, respectively, to the arms on each side, as shown ath and These, in turn, are connected between the pivots by a cross-arm, k, which is jointed to the other arms by pivots lm. It will be seen that when the legs strike the fence, and the aniinals neck or breast presses against the cross-head H, the motion will be transferred, by the medium of the pivoted armsf g k, to the other cross-head I, and the two will approach each other with mutual action, as indicated by the arrows, Fig. 3, thus thrusting the pointed pins out and punishing the animal. This arrangement of the crossheads, by which each receives a motion toward the other, constitutes the second feature of my invention. Heretofore, as far as I am aware, only one of the cross-heads has received motion, the

other being stationary. By making them both movable they are rendered more sensitive and effective in action. If desired, an iron brace may be employed to stien the arms and legs constituting the poke. Such may be used either with or Without the cross-bar G. It may be also used to stiffen a poke which is made in one piece or continuous from top to bottom.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In an animal-poke, the arrangement of the arms A A, legs D D, and cross-bar G or equivalent, said arms being attached to the legs, and 

